8 very curious, kind hearted students Skyped with mechanical engineer, Jared Howe, to learn basic engineering terms. Students at Preston Middle School (Fort Collins, Colorado) are involved in a collaborative effort with students at Riverview High School (Moncton, New Brunswick) to engineer a sustainable light source.
Jared taught the students about the important difference between additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing. He encouraged the students to think about the following engineering concepts: form follows function, objectives and constraints, simplicity, engineering analysis and designer validation.
As Jared was sharing his knowledge, Alex dutifully took notes on the SMART board while the rest of the students pondered if the light should have a hook, if it could be two pieces, if it should have a hand crack, and so forth.
Mr. Howe (Sr) was also on hand trouble shooting tech issues and jotting down other ideas.
As a group we discussed the difference and opportunities that learning synchronously and asynchronously offer. Please either post comments here or email me at twiney@psdschools.org and I will share your comments. Jared has agreed to check the sight and answer any questions or share his ideas! I have also posted the notes here from the Skype!